Thunderhawk
The Thunderhawk gunship is one of the Space Marines' primary weapons in the war against the enemies of the Imperium. The Thunderhawk was first deployed during the Great Crusade to replace the Warhawk VI gunship. Armed to the teeth with a Thunderhawk cannon and various other weapons, its use became more and more widespread over the millennia. Each Chapter of the Adeptus Astartes maintains its own Thunderhawks. Normally reserved for large-scale battles, time and time again its use in the various fields of war has been proven to be of inestimable value. Thunderhawk variants can also be used as transports for the Space Marines' various armoured vehicles, aerial ground support and anti-armour gunships or even as fighter craft to destroy enemy air superiority fighters when necessary. Weapons The standard Thunderhawk gunship is armed with a large number of weapons, though the configuration occasionally varies. Here is a list of all weapons currently in use by the Thunderhawk: *Thunderhawk Cannon *Turbo-Laser Destructor *Bombs *Heavy Bolter *Lascannon *Hellstrike Missiles Various uses As the Thunderhawk's engines allow it to drop from the vacuum of space into a lower planetary atmosphere, it proves to be one of the most useful craft employed by the Space Marines. With the ability to carry three full Space Marine Tactical Squads and all their gear with precision a Drop Pod cannot match, the Thunderhawk is used to insert Marines into the thick of combat, not just destroy the enemy. Whereas some Chapters would prefer to simply launch a fullscale assault on the enemy, or use Drop Pods, the majority of Space Marine Chapters use Thunderhawks. Its tactical range and huge amount of firepower prove it to be one of the most useful vehicles ever created by the Forge Worlds of the Imperium. Not only this, but the Adeptus Mechanicus and the Techmarines still hold the secrets to the creation of the Thunderhawk and can produce new vessels, unlike many other pieces of advanced Imperial technology left over from the time of the Emperor's Great Crusade. Thunderhawk Gunship The Thunderhawk Gunship pattern is specifically designed to support troop deployment and to provide aerial ground support and anti-armour capabilities. While too large to actively participate in aerial superiority combat like standard pattern Thunderhawks, they are a mainstay vehicle of the Ultramarines and their various Successor Chapters. The Thunderhawk Gunship is a Standard Template Construct vehicle, rediscovered by the Emperor near the beginning of the Great Crusade, where it slowly replaced the aging Stormbird as the standard transport vehicle of the Adeptus Astartes. It is a medium-sized atmospheric transport of very robust design, mounted with several weapons and capable of inserting a decent sized complement of Space Marines under heavy fire in most tactical situations. Thunderhawks also contain a compact, but fully equipped, medicae chamber. Under limited circumstances, mainly extremely bad weather conditions, Marine Commanders may prefer drop pods as a safer insertion method. It also carries an assortment of defensive and offensive weaponry. The Thunderhawk is armed with a Battle Cannon, sponson cannons (twin heavy bolters), pilot HUD-linked twin heavy bolters and as well as Devastator Missiles. Thunderhawk Transporter The variant pattern of the Thunderhawk known as the Thunderhawk Transporter is designed to carry 2 Rhino-sized armoured vehicles or a single Land Raider. In addition to these vehicles, a Thunderhawk Transporter can carry half of a full company of Space Marines and all their equipment. Sources *''Horus Rising'' (Novel) page 145 *''Codex: Space Marines'' (5th edition) *''Apocalypse'' *''Planetstrike''